Biological systems use free energy based on empirical data that all organisms require a constant energy input. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can be neither created nor destroyed. For living organisms, which of the following statements is an important consequence of this first law?
A) The energy content of an organism is constant except for when its cells are dividing.
B) Organisms are unable to transform energy from the different states in which it can exist.
C) The organism must ultimately obtain all the necessary energy for life from its environment.
D) The entropy of an organism decreases with time as the organism grows in complexity.
Answer: C) The organism must ultimately obtain all the necessary energy for life from its environment.